Fluid operated flasher signal



March 26, 1968 F. A. BROWNING FLUIQ OPERATED FLASHER SIGNAL 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 24, 1965 FIG ,4 JI'VVENTOP FRANCIS A- BROWNINGA1 ORNE'Y FlcZ March 26, 1968 F. A. BROWNING FLUID OPERATED FLASHERSIGNAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 24, 1965 FRANCIS A. BROWNING 4 M AUnited States Patent 3,374,763 FLUID OPERATED FLASHER SIGNAL Francis A.Browning, 2708 Bella Vista, Fort Wayne, Ind. 46809 Filed Feb. 24, 1965,Ser. No. 434,887 2 Claims. (Cl. 116-63) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Aflasher signal device is provided by a reflector element having a numberof diflusor buttons mounted thereon and mounted within a rotatingtransparent globe causing a flasher effect signal when light comes intocontact with the reflector element.

This invention relates to an improved reflector device, and moreparticularly to an improved reflector device which has a flasher effecthaving improved attention-arresting ability by producing a flashinglight signal.

It has been the practice in the past to provide illuminating signsmarking out certain specified locations, as for example, repair sites onthe highway and the like, with reflector signals. Headlights of amotorist warn the oncoming motorist by catching some of the beams fromthe headlight and reflecting them to mark out the existence of certaindangerous sites on the highway.

These reflector type signs are effective under many conditions to catchthe attention of the driver and to mark out the existence and purpose ofthe reflector signal. It has been found, however, that a flashing typesignal will arrest the attention of a person because of the blinkingaction which tends to attract the viewer more readily and hold theattention once it is obtained. It has been the practice withself-illuminating signs to provide on-oif signaling to take advantage ofthe psychological factor involved.

In the present invention it is intended to obtain a flashing-signaleffect with a reflector type signal in order to obtain all of thepsychological advantages of a selfilluminating flasher signal and toobtain a flasher effect without the necessity for a self-contained powersource.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a flashersignal using a reflector type surface and a movable member which rotatesthe reflector surface and transmits rays of reflected light to producethe appearance of an on-off flashing signal.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a reflectorin combination with a movable member having light-transmitting abilitiesto produce a flashing effect, said movable member having portions whichare movable by the elements such as wind, rain, etc., in order that thedevice will be a flashing device under naturally occurring conditions.

It is a still further object of the present invention to produce aflasher device which will produce an illusion of not only flashing butof movement as well, this effect being obtainable by sequencing thevisual part of the reflector which is illuminated a portion at a time.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide aself-supporting flasher signal which can be installed at the point ofuse on any suitable support means as for example, moving vehicles,bicycles, a sawhorse, a mounting wall, or the like, and which willproduce its flashing signal effect under naturally occurring conditions,using wind, rain, etc., as the motive force for operating the signal.

It is an over-all object of the present invention to produce, with areflector type signal, a flashing effect by combining therewith any oneof several different movable elements which converts reflected lihgt toa flashing effect, and by movement of the element under the motive forceof naturally occurring elements such as wind, rain and the like.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom a consideration of the following description which proceeds withreference to the accompanying drawings, wherein a plurality ofembodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example. In thedrawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation view of a flasher signal, a portion of therotatable element being broken away to illustrate the interiorreflecting surface;

FIGURE 2 is a top view of FIGURE 1 with a portion of the rotatableelement broken away to illustrate the interior reflector surface;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic view showing how the rotatable member is causedto turn by wind, this being a force diagram to illustrate how the motiveforce is provided;

FIGURE 4 is an elevation view of a second movable element of cylindricalshape and is usable in place of the spherical element of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a further embodiment of the invention illustrating themounting for the reflector element on a sawhorse or the like;

FIGURE 6 illustrates a rotatable cylindrical element constituting afurther embodiment of the invention in which the flasher signal createsan illusion of movement; and

FIGURE 7 is a turnable or rotatable element constituting a furtherembodiment of the invention in producing a flashing effect with ahemispherical flasher element and a different mounting member.

Referring now to the drawings, the flasher signal, designated generallyby reference numeral 10, includes a reflector element 12 comprised of acircular mounting plate or disc 14 with a number of spaced reflectingditfusor buttons 16 which are spaced over the opposite sides of the disc14, and which catch and reflect beams of light which shine upon thesurfaces thereof. Reflecting buttons 16 are hemispherical and tend toreflect light beams from their surfaces in all directions. For example,the headlight beams of an oncoming car which are directed upon thereflecting buttons 16 will cause beams of light to reflect and in anumber of different directions, including back to the sight of thedriver of the vehicle. The transparent member 30 has shafts v18, 20 atits opposite ends which are fixed within bearings 24, 26, the bearings24, 26 being in turn held by hearing housings 48 and 50 which arefastened to bracket 28. The reflector element 12 is secured to thetransparent movable member 30 by projections 17. The shafts 18, 20 haveknurled ends 19 which lock the shafts 18, 20 to movable member 30, whichin turn is fixed to the element 12 by projections 17, these 'two parts30and 12 being thus co-rotated.

Surrounding the reflecting element 12, the movable transparent member 30is provided with spaced transparent vanes 38 and transparent portions 32to form integral parts of the movable member 30. Each transparentportion 32 includes a scoop or vane 38, there being a number of saidspaced vanes 38 which catch currents of air to cause the transparentelement 30 to rotate on a vertical axis in the direction of the arrow 44(FIGURE 3), the currents of air being illustrated schematically byarrows 46. As the reflector 12 rotates, it causes light to alternatelyappear and disappear because beams of light from an approachingautomobile, or other vehicle, are alternately transmitted as first theface, then the edge of reflector 12 is presented to the viewer causing aflasher effect signal.

Referring next to the embodiment of FIGURE 4, the vertical element canbe replaced by a cylindrical rotatable transparent element 60 whichsubstitutes for the spherical element 30 and includes in place of thesector vanes 38 so that when air currents 64 or rain drops 66 contactthe helical vanes 62, the transparent cylinder 60 is caused to rotate inthe direction of the arrows 68, bringing alternately the face and theedge of reflector 12 to the light source and thereby producing alight-flashing effect.

Referring next to FIGURE 5, a modified form of mounting can be providedin which the spherical element 31, having helical vanes 35, is mountedat the bottom thereof on a bracket 70 having a clip portion 72 whichfits over a sawhorse 74, the signal being thereby mounted at a suitablelocation to produce a light-flashing eflfect. In all other respects theflasher signal is the same as the signal in the embodiment of FIGURES 1and 2.

Referring next to the embodiment of FIGURE 6, the reflecting surfaceneed not be planar, but the reflecting elements can be located on aspiral flight 78, and the rotatable element can be in the form of atransparent cylinder 80 with transparent portions 84 and having vanes 82which catch wind and rain to rotate the flight 78 so that when thetransparent cylinder element 80 is rotated, the various planes of thereflector elements move along the spiral flight 78 and are alternatelyvisible along the length of the flight 78. Thus, as the transparentcylinder 80 and flight 78 rotate, reflective planes are visiblesuccessively moving along the longitudinal axis of the flight 78,thereby creating the illusion of movement. Not only is there a flashereffect, but also an effect of light movement as well, and both 'of thesehave a psychological effect of arresting attention and maintaining theattention of the viewer so that he will be compelled to observe in thedirection of the moving flasher.

The cylinder 80 can be mounted on bearings (not shown) at its oppositeends through brackets 88 which are fastened by flanges 90 to a suitablemounting surface.

Referring next to the embodiment of FIGURE 7, there is shown ahemispherical rotatable transparent element 91 which substitutes for thespherical element 30 of FIG- URES 1 and 2, forming an umbrella-shapedrotatable element and including transparent spaced portions 92 andtransparent vane ridges 94 which catch currents of air to effectrotation of the element about its axis of rotation 98 in the directionof the arrow100. At the interior of the hemispherical element is areflector surface 102 in the shape of a cross which functions in themanner previously described, and the device as a whole is mountedthrough shaft 104 and suction cup 106 on a suitable mounting member (notshown). The rotatable element 91 is mounted on the transparent spacedportions 92 by an interference fit;

The embodiments described can be varied from the precise forms shown tosuit design requirements. For example, the reflector elements 12 can bemade to reflect either white, red, blue or other coloration light,depending upon design preference. Also, the movable flasher element canbe made hemispherical, spherical or cylin-' drical. The rotatableelement can be driven by wind, rain,

or other means, the currents of air being either artificially ornaturally occurring.

' In use, the reflector will operate automatically and continuouslyandwill produce a new and improved attentionobtaining signal by reason ofthe flasher effect. The psychological benefit of a flashing signal alsohas in some instances the effect of motion as well, better serving thepurpose of obtaining attention and holding the attention of the viewer.a t v Although the present invention has been illustrated and describedin connection with a few selected example embodiments, it will beunderstood that these are illustrative of the invention and are by nomeans restrictive thereof. It is reasonably to be expected that thoseskilled in this art can make numerous revisions and adaptations of theinvention to suit individual design preferences, and it is intended thatsuch revisions and adaptations will be included within the scope of thefollowing claims as equivalents of the invention.

I claim: I

1. A flasher signal device comprising in combination, a I

reflector element having a number of spaced reflecting dilfusor buttonsmounted thereon, a transparent spherical member spaced from andenveloping said reflector element, securing means connecting saidtransparent member to said reflector element, bracket means including apair of vertically spaced stub shafts and including means on saidtransparent member for receiving said shaft for rotatably ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 207,332 8/1878 Wortman 40-39 925,907 6/ 1909I-Ieim 40-39 1,014,958 1/1912 Edison 240-101 2,629,044 2/ 1953 Marfisi240-10.1 2,810,223 10/1957 Fraesdorf 40-39 2,833,065 5/1958 Kies -240-39 3,056,019 9/ 1962 Apatoif 240-101 1,443,919 1/ 1923 Levie 272-81,162,164 8/1928 Berry et a1. 340-239, 1,823,240 9/1931 Cobb 240-1011,839,055 12/1931 Seegelken 2408.11 1,871,073 8/ 1932 Walker 240-1011,946,916 2/1934 Rizzo 240-811 2,044,551 6/ 1936 Tompsett 40-106542,517,982 8/1950 Crocker 116-63 2,554,781 5/ 1951 Hetherington 24010.12,810,065 10/ 1957 Peck 46-58 2,876,339 3/1959 Throne 240-10.1

'Parker 40-39 ouis J. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,374,763 March 26 1968 Francis A. Browning It is certified that errorappears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent arehereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1 line 71 for n read line r "1,162,164" read 1,682 1 4 g ColumnSigned and sealed this 22nd day of July 1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

